After five and a half years living full time with writing this book, I am somewhat dazed by the soft landing of Bibliography, Acknowledgements and the odd tidying up. I am a bit light-headed. It feels unreal, especially compared with living Ypres and Gallipoli in the past two years. I still can’t really believe that the ‘writing’ is all over! (But is it?)
In the New Year, the campaign opens to find the right publisher. I shall be blogging less often then, but will explain all that after Twelfth Night. It only remains now for me to thank all our followers and visitors for reading us in the past year, and to wish you
(Shed Man acknowledges the arrival of Christmas)
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND PROSPEROUS 2017!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s “Shed Man”!
I wonder what his superpower is. The ability to teleport instantly to a shed anywhere in the world, perhaps?
I like this picture!
Personally, I don’t think it’s me. Future iconographic analysts will undoubtedly submit it to minute subcutaneous analysis and decide for themselves. Nevertheless, I accept it was taken of me, with the window open to reduce reflections, on a pretty cold day. It is regrettable that neither the manuscript biography before me nor George’s collected works in the background is/are visible in the photograph. SERIOUSLY THOUGH: long-term followers will appreciate that I think the ability to teleport to, say, Eastcote 1899, Tahiti 1906 or Oxford 1912, should be a part of the biographer’s powers… It is an indisputable fact, however, that George Calderon never possessed a shed, so I can’t teleport there… I don’t think there was an Edwardian shed culture, but I think Edwardian males would have been less stressed if there had been, and Edwardian women certainly. Meanwhile, Calderonia laureate Damian Grant contributes a fresh perspective on ‘shed’ with his latest haiku:
‘When is a book shed?’
asks shed man plaintively — (is
that mould on wool hat?)
I hope I have permission to quote that!
Good Yule to ule, Patrick.
He damns one who writes in the cold? (4,3)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!